Unit 1

Cultural differences
.
Studying in a foreign country can be exciting. It can be difficult too, especially if the culture is very
different from your own. However, there are often surprises, even if the culture is very similar.
When Megan, a British student, first arrived here in the United States she knew that Americans
ate their food with a knife and fork. ‘But they don’t use the knife and fork like we do,’ says Megan.
‘In Britain we eat with the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand. Whereas Americans
often just use a fork in the right hand.’

Megan is also surprised that Americans tip a lot more than the British do. ‘We never tip a waiter
just for a cup of coffee, but Americans tip 15 per cent. The accents can be so different, too! I’m
slowly getting used to everything.’

For students who come here from more different backgrounds, settling in can take longer. Kit-ken,
a student who came from Taiwan only a few months ago, told us ‘When I first arrived everything
was new and exciting. I really liked the differences between here and home. I was happy to be in a
new country. Now, though, I miss my family and friends and feel a bit lonely.
Sometimes I’m confused about what to do. There are still lots of things that I like, but now there
are more things I dislike. I feel really homesick!’

For advice we turned to some students who now have few problems about being a student here.
Seydou arrived from Senegal two years ago. He told us ‘Kit-ken shouldn’t worry, this is perfectly
normal. I felt exactly the same as she did. I didn’t understand the culture and my English wasn’t
improving, either.’

Seydou realised this was because all his friends were from his own country. ‘So I decided to get to
know some North American students, and other international students. I went to the student
union where there are a lot of different clubs. There are sports clubs, dance clubs, clubs for people
who have the same religion, clubs for people who want to find out more about something – there
are loads! I saw there was a club for students interested in music and so I joined that.
 It made all the difference! I made friends quite quickly, and I was able to understand the culture a
bit better. The students were interested in me, too. We talked about the differences, and I began
to feel a lot happier. We now get on well and often hang out together.’
.

Miguel from Mexico added, ‘My main problem was the food. I really missed eating my favourite
dishes! Cooking for myself was also hard and I ate too much fast food, which was not good for me.
Then I found a Mexican restaurant nearby. Now I go there quite a lot, and I often take other
students to give it a try. Also my mum sends me packages with Mexican food in them, and that
really helps, too. Understanding a new culture is important, but it’s good to have things from
home, too.’
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Read the advice for students who want to do well in their exams and compare your answers to pre-
Reading 1 and 2 with the text.
Unit 2

Chewing for a better grade .

Without doubt, chewing gum is very popular. Annual sales of gum in the U.S.A, for example,
are over $2 billion. But perhaps this is not surprising when you learn that Americans on
average chew about 300 sticks of gum per person a year. Worldwide, the wrigley Company
sells more than $4 billion of chewing gum each year - that's a lot of gum! .

Why is chewing gum so popular? .

One manufacturer says that it not only helps you relax more, but it also helps you to stay
awake. This is the reason why the U.S. armed forces have given chewing gum to their soldiers
since the First World War. People also chew gum after a meal to have fresh breath. It can help
fight tooth decay, too, which may mean fewer visits to the dentist.
. .

But do you know that there's a better reason for chewing gum - it can improve memory!
Do you have an exam coming up? Well, reviewing is obviously a good idea, but scientists say
that chewing gum can help too. .

How do the scientists know that chewing gum can help memory? The scientists divided 75
people into three groups. One third chewed real gum, one third chewed imaginary gum, and
the last third didn't chew anything at all. Then the scientists gave each group a lot of different
memory tests to do. The results were very interesting. The people with real gum did better
than the people with imaginary gum. The people with imaginary gum did better than those
who didn't have any gum at all. .

How does chewing gum help memory? One possible reason is that when people chew there is
more activity in an area of the brain that is important for memory. Another possible reason is

that when people chew their heart beats faster so more oxygen goes to the brain. However,
the three groups all worked at the same speed. They could all work out the answers quite
quickly. Scientists say this shows that chewing gum doesn't help you to concentrate better.
.

Meanwhile, study experts in Chicago are trying to help students who are taking exams, and
chewing gum is included in their list of tips. They say that students are under a lot of pressure
to get good grades, and also they often do the wrong things when revising for example.
.

Many students, for example, eat unhealthy snacks between meals. They also drink a lot more
coffee and study until very late at night. This means that when they take their exams, many
students are tired and unhealthy. The experts suggest that students should exercise during
their breaks, or chat with friends, instead of eating. They should study during the day when
they can concentrate better, not at night.

Students should also study in a comfortable place while listening to their favourite music.
Finally, the students should chew gum. This helps them to relax, and keeps them away from
the fridge. If it also helps improve memory, start chewing now!

People in Indiana in the USA are complaining to newspapers about gum-chewing. A Journalist
asks two of them what the problem is.

A Sticky Problem

‘I hate chewing gum – it should be banned!’ This is the view of Sandra Bolton who lives near the
large university campus. ‘Look at the road! It’s covered in hundreds of pieces of chewing gum!’

She was right, there were hundreds of small, black marks all over the road. Who does she
blame? ‘Young people, especially students, of course. They chew gum all the time and then
spit it out on the road. It’s disgusting!

I really think we should ban chewing gum like they do in Singapore- that’s very sensible. I know
for a fact that it costs thousands of dollars to clean the roads.’
It is possible to get a fine if you drop litter, and chewing gum is litter. But as Mrs. Bolton
explains, this does not happen very much. ‘people don’t realise how difficult and expensive it
is to clean pavements and roads. Chewing gum is almost impossible to remove. It’s just bad
news.’

Perhaps the best thing then, is to tell people why it’s so bad to spit gum on the road. Mrs.
Bolton disagrees. ‘It won’t work. Young people just don’t care about anything these days.’

Kevin De Souza adds, ‘And there are other reasons why gum is so bad. It can be a problem for
small animals and birds. They think the gum is food but it can be dangerous: they can die after
swallowing gum.’

Mr. De Souza also hates finding gum on bus or train seats. ‘I once sat on a piece of gum and it
was impossible to remove form my trousers. It’s always on my shoes, too. The manufacturers
make a lot of money from selling gum. They should pay for cleaning the roads – and my
clotes!’

The last word is from Mrs. Bolton: ‘people also look horrible chewing gum with their mouths
open. Everything about chewing gum is bad.’ What do you think? Should we ban gum-or not?
Unit 3

Profcasts

Hilary is sitting upstairs in her bedroom surrounded by books and papers for her university
courses. Her father knows that Hilary has exams soon and hopes that his daughter is studying
hard. But when he goes into her bedroom, what is Hilary doing? Studying? No- she`s listening
to music on her iPod! Hilary`s father is not at all happy until Hilary takes out the earphones
and makes her father listen. What can he hear? Music? No- there`s a man talking about
Pythagoras`s theorem and her father doesn`t understand a word of it!

“You see, Dad,” Hilary says, “I wasn`t listening to music- I was studying!” She shows her father
the university website which now includes podcasts that students can listen to or watch. She
explains that universities in the UK are beginning to see how digital technology can help their
students to learn. The days of the lecture and library are not gone, but it`s now possible to get
information in other ways too. Her father begins to smile.

Podcasting only started in 2004, but already many websites have audio or video podcasts. You
can of course keep them on your computer. However, it's also possible to download then
ontoMP3 players, like Hilary. Then you can listen to or watch them where or when you want.
That's why they're so popular.

Now university websites also have hodcasts (or should we say profcasts!). At one British
university, for example, a professor records one-hour lectures as podcasts for the university
website. Students can then download the lecture onto their Mp3 players.

How do the students feel about this? Sandra, 19, says: "Well, in a lecture I listen and take a lot
of notes. I can't always follow what the lecturer is saying. But with the podcast I can listen to
the lecture many times. Then it's easier for me to understand.“ Mark is an engineering
student:” I usually concentrate more when I`m in a lecture, but it helps me review.“ Not all

students are happy, however. David is at Leicester University: ”I don`t have an MP3 player or
my own laptop. I use the university computers. Sometimes there are up to 50 other students
in the same room, so it can be difficult to concentrate.“

What do the professors think? Dr. Carol Hughes says: “It`s important for universities to use
digital technology. Students like using computers, and they like listening to their MP3 players.
Now they can study using both” Professor Jane Webster says: “The podcasts do not replace
normal lectures: they add to them. They give the students extra support. Now it`s easier for
students to work from home or on the move.” Finally James Ross adds: “This is a wonderful
thing to have on our website. Students already use the technology to get other news and
information, so it seems logical to use it for their studies, too.”

Hilary thinks her university`s podcasts are great, but her father is of two minds. He`s glad that
Hilary can use her iPod for educational purposes, too, but he never knows when she`s really
studying or listening to music!
 Musicnews&views

CD vs Vinyl

In today’s world of music, things are constantly changing – there are new products, new ways
of listening to music, new types of music.

Last month on Musicnews&views we looked at cassettes. This month we look at vinyl records,
which were invented more than 100 years ago. In this digital age some people think vinyl still
has cool image.

Do you agree? Is vinyl dead? Which do you prefer- CDs or vinyl? Let’s know what you think!

Comments

ms-kitty what’s a vinyl record? I think it’s something from the past. Is it true you play both sides?!
………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
niceguy of course young people know what vinyl looks like! I’m 22 and I buy vinyl records. The main
. reason is that they sound soooo much better. The DJs in the clubs I go to all play vinyl
. records. It’s not dead!
………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Pocahontas Yes, but the best thing about digital music is that you can listen to it anywhere- outside the
. house, in the street, on the train, it’s just so much more practical. You can only listen to vinyl
. records on a record player with speakers. You can’t beat an iPod and earphones!
………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
cool36 It’s true! There are usually only about 6 tracks on each side! CDs have more stuff on them,
. and I can listen to my MP3 for over 15 hours! I also rip CDs onto my computer, so I can listen
. to them all in one go if I want.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

niceguy That’s why I buy CDs and vinyl. I listen to digital music when I’m on the move, I listen to the
. vinyl records at home. And there are some great designs on the cover, too.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Cool36 Digital music sounds better! Nobody I know buys records- we usually download music from
. the net. Then we burn them onto CDs or download our favourite tracks straight onto our
. MP3s. Easy!
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Pocahontas That’s great, isn’t it? I have a long trip to school so listening to my favourite bands really
. helps to pass the time!

Unit 4

Worlds a part

Because their fathers are brothers, American teenagers Ronald and Jessica are cousins, A
generation ago, one brother decided to stay in the country while the other chose to move to the
city. Both cousins go to school, and this September both will go to college, but at the moment
their-day-to day lives are worlds apart.

Ronald lives with his family in a house in the country in California, and here he describes a typical
weekend.

‘Saturday mornings are the same as any mornings. I always get up early and feed the animals. I
also drop by the farm next door to get some fresh milk. Our family always has a big breakfast
together that my mom cooks, usually with our own eggs and homemade bread.

Then, without fail, we all go off to the market where we swap our vegetables for other things we
need. The market is a weekly meeting for all the local families, and in the evening there’s often a
barbecue somewhere.

What we do on Sunday depends on the time of year. After breakfast, dad and I often spend the
morning cutting wood or picking fruit. We might plant some vegetables or mend some machinery,
and I sometimes drive the tractor. Then after lunch, which is nearly always sandwiches and fruit
that we have outside, the afternoon is free to do what I want. If I have any school exams or
homework I study in the tree house. I always go there when I want to be alone; I often listen to
my MP3 player or chat on the phone. Sometimes some of the other local boys and I take a hike in
the woods. If it’s really hot we swim in the river- but the water’s always freezing! In the evening
we might play pool at the local club, or watch DVD at someone’s home. I’m usually I bed at 10 p.m
as I’m up early again before I go to school.

Jessica, on the other hand, lives with her family in an apartment on a busy Los Angeles city street.
This is her typical weekend.

Saturdays are my favourite day of the week because I always meet up with friends and go
shopping. I usually skip breakfast. I just get up and go straight out. We meet at the bus stand and
it’s a 30-minute journey downtown if there’s not too much traffic. Then we go and have a coffee
in the shopping mall. Most of the day is spent just wandering around and buying cloths and music.
Lunch is usually in a fast-food restaurant, where we eat burgers and milkshakes or pizza and cola.
Saturday evenings are either spent at a disco, at a movie theatre, or going bowling – something
like that. I never stay in.

Sundays can be boring. I get up very late, sometimes in the afternoon, and make myself a
sandwich. I usually stay in my room most of the day studying and listening to music, or chatting on
the phone to my friends. We often meet up again in the evening in a café. I usually get home quite
late, so it’s possible that I don’t see my parents all weekend!

Living in the City

Jessica’s father moved to the city because he wanted a better job.

‘I know I did the right thing,’ he says. ‘I have a good job and earn a lot of money. I also know that
the education Jessica has here is better than in the country. She’s going to university this autumn.
The healthcare facilities are also good – the main hospital is just a few blocks away if there’s an
emergency. The sports facilities are excellent, too. I usually play squash and swim twice a week.
My wife and I sometimes go to the theatre in the evening, or see an exhibition.

On the other hand, it’s also an expensive place to, live. We can’t live in a large house like Ronald’s
family. Jessica has a lot of fun though. Often we don’t see her at the weekend, but I’m happy
because there’s lots for her to do. She has many choices- where to shop, what to eat, who her
friends are – that are not available in the country. I think Ronald’s life is more boring.

Jessica’s father is not alone in coming to the city for work. Many people come looking for a job;
others come to study and then stay. In 2006, according to the United Nations, about the same
number of people worldwide lived in the country and in the city. Now more people live in the city.

Africa has the highest rate of urban growth, but Asia has more people living in urban areas. Six out
of the ten biggest cities in the world are in Asia. In 2015, Asia will have more people living in cities
then the rest of the world put together. For example, the USA has about 40 cities of more than a
million people, but China has over 100. Japan is one of the world’s most densely populated
nations, with a minority of people living in rural areas.

What is the result of this urban growth? It’s overcrowded cities with little fresh air, lots of noise
and more pollution. On the other hand, cities offer greater choice, higher salaries, and more
cultural activities.

Jessica and her family prefer the city. Do you prefer it too?
The good life
Ronald’s father decided to stay in the country because he wanted a better life for his family.
‘I understand why my brother moved’, he says. ‘For me, however, a safe family life is more important
than money. Cities are often dangerous places to live in, and unhealthy too. They’re usually
overcrowded, with not much fresh air and a lot of pollution. Ronald eats well (he’d never skip
breakfast like Jessica does!), and he doesn’t wander around with nothing to do. He’s going to
university soon, which shows that the local school is good. I just hope he decides to return here after
his studies, so that future generations can live the good life, too.’
.

Q3) Complete the sentences with a word or phrase in bold from the text.
1. Let’s …………………….. the last class and go shopping instead!
2. My family ………………………. To the UK when my dad got a job in London.
3. Our family has lived here for a few ………………………… , from my great grandparents’ time.
4. This city is safe during the day, but it’s ……………………………… at night.
5. Prisoners and staff are unhappy because the jails are ……………………..………
6. There aren’t so many fish here because of …………..……………… in the river.
7. The shops in our neighbourhood are good. Especially the ………………………. Supermarket.
8. Yes, we can …………………..………… the shopping center and maybe meet up with some friends.
Unit 5
Take a trip
Travel across South America and explore the rainforest! Teach English in a village in Ghana! Run a
game park in South Africa! Work in a refugee camp in Jordan!
A holiday brochure? A travel agent’s advertisement? Not exactly. These are just a few of the
thousands of activities that people can choose to do during their gap year. It’s a growing market-but
what is a gap year and why do so many people take one?

Naomi Sherwood, a gap year consultant, explains: ‘A gap year is a period of time, not always a full
year, between one stage of your life and another. For some it’s a few weeks, for others, six months or
longer. It can be any time, perhaps during a career change or just after retiring. However, the most
popular gap year is after school and before university. What someone does during that time is up to
them, and for young people nowadays the choice is enormous. It’s sometimes difficult for them to
know what to do.’

That’s why Ms. Sherwood helps people choose the best option.

‘I get the students to consider doing something that’s important to them,’ she says. ‘Do they like
travelling and meeting people? Do they want to do something that will help them with their university
studies? Do they want to be useful? Do they want to learn a foreign language? Do they need to get a
job to help pay for their studies, or get work experience?’

Ms. Sherwood has helped many people make the most of their gap year. For Peter, very keen on
sports and languages, it was an easy decision. He went to a town in the Alps where he worked as a ski
instructor and improved his French, German and Italian. He loved being away from his parents and
England. He returned home a happier and more mature person.
Rachel was interested in finding out about a completely different culture, and she also wanted to help
people. She decided to work as a volunteer in a refugee camp in Jordan. For her, the experience was
incredible, and it helped her to become more independent and more confident. Going to university
after that was a lot easier for her.
Dan says he now has a better understanding of the world. He met a lot of new people and had many
new experiences while working in a hospital in Zimbabwe. He went there after one year at medical
school in London. He found that heath conditions were far worse than in the UK so it was a
challenging year, but very rewarding, too. He returned to his studies more motivated and even keener
to become a doctor.
Anna spent half her gap year trekking through Argentina and Chile. However, because she wants to be
a vet, she also worked for four months with monkeys in an animal refuge in Bolivia. She had an
amazing time and worked very hard. She was up at 7:30 every day and worked until 6 pm, but she
loved it.
Ms. Sherwood says, ‘whatever people decide to do, they usually come back confident, happier and
better prepared for life at university.’

Unit 6

Big labels small prices

Diane is a student at university far away from her home town. Now it is the end of term and she’s
buying presents to take home for her family. For her mum, she buys a Chanel handbag and a bottle of
French perfume. For her brother, she buys an Adidas sports shirt and some music CDs. For her sister,
she buys a Gucci bag and some CDCs. She hasn’t made up her mind what to buy for her dad yet -
perhaps a Rolex watch.

Is she rich? No, not at all. So how can Diane buy all these things for her family? The answer is simple -
none of the things are genuine. She doesn’t buy any of these things from a shop. Some things come
from the market and some things from street traders. They are all fakes. They are all counterfeit
goods.

Perhaps this may seem normal to you. Perhaps you too buy counterfeit goods. It’s one way of buying
‘designer label’ clothes. It’s also a way of buying music and films without spending a lot of money.
Sometimes it’s very difficult to tell the difference between the real thing and a copy. If you can buy
counterfeit goods cheaply, that’s not a bad thing, is it? Does it matter?

Many companies are very worried, for two reasons. Firstly, the companies lose money. In Europe,
about 11 percent of clothing and footwear, and 12 percent of toys and sportswear, may be
counterfeit. In china, most films and software are believed to be fakes. Billions of dollars are lost every
year from people buying counterfeit goods and downloading pirated games and software from the
internet. This means less money to develop new goods and prevent viruses. Asian software
developers working for small businesses struggle to survive.

Secondly, fake goods are not as safe as genuine goods. One reason why fake goods are much cheaper
is that no money is spent on checking safety. Another reason is that the goods are often made with
poor-quality materials. Toys are a good example. Children like to put their toys in their mouth. If the
toys have sharp parts, or are covered in a paint that is not safe, this can be a serious problem.

Another example is a car parts. If the brakes are not genuine, the car may not stop in an emergency.
Mothers who buy counterfeit toys cannot be sure that the toys are safe for their children. Drivers who
buy fake car parts cannot be sure that their car is safe to drive. If there’s a problem, there’s no
customer support – and you certainly won’t get your money back.

Buying counterfeit goods means two things. You take money away from companies that make safe
goods and you give money to counterfeiters who don’t care about safely. Next time you buy a cheap
designer label or download pirated software, think about where your money goes. If the product
breaks, has a virus, or is unsafe, the only person you can blame is yourself.

Digital Downloads
There was a time when buying music meant only one thing- you went into a shop and paid for it.
You can still buy it from a shop, of course, but you can also buy it from the internet. However,
nowadays, you don’t even need to buy music- you can just download it for free. For many people,
the last option is the simplest and quickest, and costs nothing- but it’s not always legal.

Jammie Thomas, a woman from Minnesota in the USA, downloaded and shared thousands of
music files over the internet. Unfortunately for her, the music companies were not happy. She
became the first case to go to court, and she had to pay a fine of $222,000 to six different music
companies. They said she had acted illegally because she didn’t have the copyright to share the
music. The companies hoped that this large fine would clearly demonstrate that downloading
music from illegal sites is unacceptable.

Ms. Thomas isn’t alone in having downloaded music from the internet for free. Billions of songs
are downloaded each year, but only one in 20 is paid for. The music companies are angry with
people sharing music files because it means they get no money for them, and neither do the
artists who make the music. In 2007, British band Radiohead decided to do something different.
They decided to sell their seventh album over the internet as a digital download. This decision was
important for two reasons. Firstly, the band sold the album through their own website; they didn’t
use a record company. Secondly, the band said that buyers could decide how much they wanted
to spend. They could spend as little or as much as they liked. Perhaps not surprisingly, most
people chose not to pay anything! However, worldwide, 38 per cent did pay for the album, and
they paid an average of $6 each. 1.2 million people visited the site.

So, if a million people downloaded the music, then Radiohead received $2,280,000. Musicians
usually only receive a small amount of money from the price of a CD. Radiohead received all the
money; nothing was spent on packaging, and no money was paid to the music company, of
course.

Digital downloading is changing the music business. Will music companies become a thing of the
past?